Chapter 2

External Analysis

Your vision and mission provide direction—where you want to go with your business. The next step in the formulation of your strategy—how you are going to get there—is to spend some time thinking about the external business environment and your internal capabilities. This chapter will help you consider the external factors and the potential threats and opportunities that may influence your plan. Chapter 3 will show you how to analyze your internal strengths and weaknesses, factors that will need your attention as you develop strategic initiatives and tactics.

Examining the external environment is important because trends in society, such as changes in demographics or technology, can significantly influence the performance ...

Get Strategic Planning now with the O’Reilly learning platform.

O’Reilly members experience books, live events, courses curated by job role, and more from O’Reilly and nearly 200 top publishers.